University of Memphis

The University of Memphis is a public research university located in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1912, it is part of the State University and Community College System of Tennessee and enrolls more than 20,000 students across undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. The university offers degrees through colleges including arts and sciences, business and economics, education, engineering, communication and fine arts, nursing, and public health, as well as a law school. Classified as a Carnegie R1 institution with very high research activity, it supports research in areas such as earthquake science, business, health, and Egyptian art and archaeology. Students are often drawn to its comprehensive academic offerings, urban campus setting, and strong regional connections in the Mid-South.

The University of Memphis was founded in 1912 as West Tennessee State Normal School in Memphis, Tennessee, following state legislation passed in 1909 to create a teacher training institution. Seymour A. Mynders served as the first president. The institution expanded beyond teacher education and became West Tennessee State Teachers College in 1925, then Memphis State College in 1941. In 1957, it achieved university status and was renamed Memphis State University. The graduate school was established in 1951, and the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law opened in 1962, reflecting growing academic scope. In 1994, Memphis State University adopted its current name, the University of Memphis. Over time, the university broadened its research mission and academic programs, earning Carnegie R1 classification for very high research activity in the twenty-first century and developing into a major public research university serving the Memphis metropolitan area.